Thanks for tuning in
today we're going to be reviewing the
FLR F-35
Knit road cycling shoes
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Lace-up knit cycling shoes that become
increasingly popular as they offer
lightweight
and retro designs. Even though they lack
BOA dial closure systems
companies typically charge hundreds of
dollars extra for the lace-up versions.
That's why we're excited to be reviewing
the very affordable FLR
F-35 knit lace-up shoes today.
Now in terms of packaging it's really
simple you just have a cardboard box
epilogue branding on the top and side.
What we have here today is the
EUR 44 size in black with the lace-up
variation.
I'll go ahead and take out the box and
we'll go over these specs. This is FLR's
entry level shoe and because of that
it's only $69.99 which is very affordable.
They offer it both in the lace version
we have here as well as a three velcro
design.
They use their nylon R250 sole for good
performance and comfort
and it's three bolt compatible with the
memory
eyelet as well. The Look Keo memory
eyelet here for easy cleat replacement.
It uses their XD-Knit upper which is new
for 2021
and you can see really nice
breathability and comfort.
It also has a reinforced heel and toe
which as you can see don't flex with the
rest of the upper.
In terms of what comes in the box you
get the shoes
and that's pretty much it. Uou get a
little tag from FLR that describes a
little more about the company
and you also get the two bolts for the
Look Keo memory eyelet
and we have a separate video on how to
use that. Now let's take a look at the
weight of these shoes even though these
are entry level shoes because they're a
knit upper
with a lace-up design they should be
quite light.
These are euro 44 size as well the right
one is 270 grams so not bad
while the left one is 270 as well.
Now what's really unique about these
shoes is FLR's made
a knit lace-up shoe at a very affordable
price point.
At only 70 dollars it'd be hard to beat
this feature set
with other companies. Now as with their
other Knit shoes the color variations
are very limited currently.
They're only available black and white
and I believe with these shoes it's only
available in black.
They also have a velcro variation
but we'd prefer the lace-up design as
it's a lot easier to use
and velcro can be a little annoying to
use as it can get dirty
and harder to adjust.
Now really simple styling with these you
just have FLR
on the side and the base otherwise
there's no model name and nothing else
on the shoe so very sleek.
Now with the closure system this is a
lace-up style so
not as convenient as a BOA or ATOP
dial system where you can just do micro
adjustments. You do have to tie your
shoes and you have to prevent
you have to make sure these shoes don't
get stuck in your
chain so when you tie them you can loop
them back
through a little hook here on the tongue
to make sure they don't get caught
anywhere. It's a really nice retro design
that looks pretty sleek and also has
good comfort as you can really tighten
this down as you need to.
Not quite as convenient as a dial but
it's a good compromise
and results in a lighter weight and sleeker
shoe.
Now you have the reinforced toe and heel
as well
you can see the it's actually a layer on
top of the
knit surface and it provides a really
good structure so as I flex this
you can see the toe stays in place
same thing with the heel. You have
this raised heel portion to keep your
foot in place as well. The outsole
is their r250 nylon construction
it has a stiffness index of 7 which
really doesn't mean much as every
company makes up
their own measurements for stiffness
index but it has a good compromise
between performance and comfort.
You have a little nylon mesh vent in the
front and these little raised rubber
pads that protect the base and make it
easier to walk in.
It would have been nice to see
replaceable pads but at 70 dollars this
is pretty hard to beat.
Now in terms of insoles you get this
basic foam
insert. It has ventilated holes on the
front and middle
otherwise pretty standard and decent padding.
You may want to replace this with some
aftermarket insoles if you need more
comfort
or have a higher arch.
So now let's get the F-35s on the road as
you can see they're pretty good-looking
shoes even in the all-black finish.
It has a nice premium look thanks to the
lace-up and knit design
there's also a lot of flexibility thanks
to the softness of the knit
so you can see as you expand your feet
it adjusts really simply so if you have
wider feet
it's a really good option. It is a little
bit more work to adjust
laces you obviously can't do that while
you're riding but otherwise it's a nice
comfortable fit.
Now on the road these have the nylon
outsoles which is something we've
ridden with with the
F-11s as well they're a little bit
flexible but even if you're sprinting or
climbing
they're still quite comfortable. It is a
balance between performance and comfort
but
for longer rides for trainer rides or if
you're a newer cyclist and don't want
that stiff carbon sole
it's a good option. I really like the
fact that the lace-up
and knit work together for more flexible
and comfortable design.
So compared to the f-11 these are
actually more comfortable even though
they're
lower price.
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So now let's compare these shoes with
the other FLR knit variations as well
some of the previous models.
We have the f-35 here with the lace-up
knit upper so very similar flexible
design
with the convenience of a lace-up style.
Next we have the F-11 which is their
mid-level shoe
and you can see the upper is a little
bit different because it has the ATOP
dial but very similar otherwise same
perforation
same heel guard so i believe probably
the middle section is the only main
difference.
Then the highest end F-XX Knit
so it's actually the same upper same
single dial
but with this one you get the r500 sole
compared to the
F-11 and the F-35.
So it's a stiffer sole with a stiffness
index of 14 versus their seven
you get a similar three bolt set up a
little more adjustability with the nylon
base though
and ventilation hole in the front.
Non-replaceable heel and toe guards
so depending on what you're looking for
if you're looking for a stiffer shoe the
fxx is still quite affordable at
around 220 dollars but if you're more
budget oriented
the F-35 or the F-11 are great options.
It depends on where you're looking for
if you need the dial the F-11 is a great
option
while a more simple $70 F-35
is great for entry level or even on the
trainer.
Now we also are lucky enough to have
reviewed the previous shoes
as you can see here we have the older
F-11. If you compare these side by
side you can see the big differences
uh the bottoms are the same and just the
top so where this was a micro
fiber cover with the vent holes.
This new knit surface has more
perforations
more flexible and i believe looks a
little bit better as well.
Now the FLR shoes have actually held
up quite well you can see the only
danger of getting white shoes is that
they do to get dirty
so it's pretty hard to keep these white
but otherwise it's actually held up with
over a year's use without really
damaging the base either
which is pretty impressivei. Same thing
with the F-11
we've been also riding this with over
the last year
you can see the microfiber construction
of the
original version versus the knit upper i
believe the knit up versions
also look better again a little bit
sleeker design
and with the single dial setup.
They've actually ditched the velcro
which is one thing we didn't really
like with the original version anyways.
Now let's go over the scorecard for the
F-35 Knit shoes.
We'll grade on four different categories
design closures comfort and value.
In terms of design we give it an A.
Between the knit uppers and the lace-up
closure system it has a very nice retro
styling.
Closures would also give an A- as the
simple lace-up design is easy to tension
and simple to use. It's not quite as
convenient as a dial system
but it's a nice option. Comfort wise we
give an A- it's really well
ventilated and the
knit upper means it's nice and soft so
it easily expands.
So if you're doing longer rides or have
wider feet it's a really good option.
Value-wise it's hard to not give it
an A. It's a lot of shoe for the price
and at only 70 dollars it's really rare to
see a knit upper shoe with lace up.
So if you're looking for a good bargain
second shoes or your new cyclist
this is a great option. Thanks for
watching this review don't forget to
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This is The Sweet Cyclist reminding you
to enjoy the ride!
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